2014 Beauty Favorites: Face - Part 1

Happy December, loves! I absolutely love Christmas and it truly is the most wonderful time of the year :) I love everything about the Christmas spirit and only wish it could last longer!

I mentioned in my last post that I would only be doing one post a week in December. I also said that I would be sharing my 2014 Beauty Favorites with a different category each week. This week: FACE! Since there are so many sub-categories that apply to the face, I am going to be doing Part 1 - Foundations, Concealers, Powders and Brushes - this week. Next week I will do Part 2 - Blushes, Bronzers and Highlighters! 

I have a ton of favorites in each sub-category, but I am going to try my best to pick my top 3 for each. (I don't know how I am only going to pick 3 blushes - my obsession!) 

I want to share all of these favorites with you because they are all AMAZING PRODUCTS! If I had to downsize my collection, these would be my top picks that I would want to save because I don't know what I would do without them! If you are on the hunt for something new, you will be able to find out what my recommendations would be for everything makeup-related over the next few weeks!

FOUNDATION:

     If you have been following my blog for a while, you have seen me mention that I have been struggling with acne for about a year (you can read my story here). Thankfully, I haven't had a breakout in well over a month and I am so, so grateful! These foundations are amazing at covering acne as they provide medium-full coverage. But as I am continuing to have clearer skin, I am still loving them as I can apply a more sheer, lighter application! So whether you have acne-prone skin or normal skin, I am sure you will love these foundations as well.

• Double Wear Foundation by Estee Lauder - This is the best foundation of life and I absolutely love it. It is seriously amazing! It provides the best coverage! It is so flawless and lasts all day long. For real, it will not smudge or wear away for 12+ hours! I also think the price tag of $37 is amazing compared to how many higher end foundation can cost you $60+. You are getting a great deal for a high quality foundation. I always recommend this foundation to girls. If you have never tried it, go to Sephora or Estee Lauder counter and ask for a sample. You will be hooked as well!

Double Wear Foundation by Estee Lauder

• HD Foundation by Make Up For Ever - This is a close second for me. It also provides a flawless finish and lasts all day as well. This is slightly less full coverage than the Double Wear - this is more medium coverage. This foundation is specifically created with film and camera in mind. This is a foundation that will look flawless if you are going to have an event where you will be taking lots of pictures!

HD Foundation by Make Up For Ever

• ColorStay Foundation by Revlon - If you are looking for something more affordable but still have a foundation that will last and look great, this is it! This is the foundation that I wear on an average day. Since my other foundations are more expensive, I hate wasting them on days where I am just going to be running to the store or getting groceries. But I still think that this foundation provides a flawless finish just like my other two favorites. The only con I have with it is that it does not last nearly as long as the others. I would say it will definitely last you a good 6-8 hours before it starts to break up in places (at least that is what I have experienced and definitely not the "24 hours" it claims). But for a drugstore foundation, this is a true winner and it is by far the best drugstore foundation I have tried!

ColorStay Foundation by Revlon

CONCEALER:

     These three are the only concealers I own and continue to repurchase. I have tried others in the past, but nothing works as great as these! 

• Pro LongWear by MAC - I mentioned in my last post that this is the concealer that I wear when I want to do a full on makeup look. It doesn't crease on me and creates the most perfect highlighting and concealing effect (since I use a lighter color than my skin tone). It blends so easily into the skin and it always blows me away at how perfect it looks. I just love this concealer!

Pro LongWear by MAC

• Age Rewind by Maybelline - I also adore this concealer. It is so affordable and it also creates an amazing highlighting effect when using a lighter shade. I think the MAC concealer creates a little bit more of a brightening effect, but this still does a great job at highlighting and concealing. I also don't notice any creasing when wearing this concealer and have gone through countless tubes of this bad boy!

Age Rewind by Maybelline

• Boo-Boo Cover-Up - This has been such a little blessing to me! Now that I am getting over acne, I have a lot of discoloration, spots, scars etc. This concealer blows me away at how incredible it is. It covers up any scarring that I have so effortlessly. The product is a little bit on the thicker side but it blends out to perfectly to cover any flaws. It never looks cakey and I can't even tell where it begins and ends on my skin when it is blended out. After applying it in my problematic areas, you can't even tell I ever had blemishes! It also has ingredients in it to lighten your scarring and heal. It is truly amazing and if you have any scarring or flaws you want to cover up, I HIGHLY recommend trying this out! 

Boo-Boo Cover-Up

POWDER:

     I have been using these powders consistently for several months now. I haven't tried any new ones recently because I have been so happy with these!

• Banana by Anastasia Beverly Hills - OH the infamous Banana! I had to try the hype out and I am loving it. I use this to set my under eye concealer and it works like a charm. I am impressed with the formulas of the concealers that I use, but I am always setting it with Banana and feel like it really just gives you an extra hand at the longevity of under eye concealer. 

Banana by Anastasia Beverly Hills

• Light Reflecting Pressed Powder in Translucent Crystal by NARS - I love how this powder feels so light when applying it. It barely feels like you are putting anything on your face. It is so sheer and you will never feel cakey with this powder! It is super silky and sets my makeup perfectly. It is mattifying yet creates a soft, luminious glow. SO pretty! This is definitely my go-to setting powder (as you can see below how much use it has gotten!) and I absolutely love it!

Light Reflecting Pressed Powder by NARS

• Mineral Veil by Bare Minerals - I also like to use the Mineral Veil to set my makeup. I just tend to reach for my NARS powder because it is pressed and the Mineral Veil is loose powder. It tends to get messy and I am finding myself some days not even wanting to deal with it. I do still think it is a wonderful powder to set your makeup. It just melts into you skin and creates a luminious glow as well. I wouldn't say the NARS one is any better, I just use this one on days when I have more patience :)

Mineral Veil by Bare Minerals

BRUSHES/SPONGES:

     I know I cant complete a full makeup look with only these three brushes, but these are the top three that I would recommend spending the money on and investing in. There are a lot of affordable brushes that work amazing, but in my eyes, nothing compares to these three and totally worth every penny.

• Beauty Blender - This obviously isn't a brush but it is something that I think any girl interested in beauty and makeup needs! The pointed side is perfect for blending out concealer and the bottom is great for foundation. It can be used wet or dry and gives you a flawless finish. I definitely recommend spending the extra $15 on the Beauty Blender over the Real Techniques sponge. In my personal experience, the Real Techniques sponge did not compare to the Beauty Blender!

Beauty Blender

• F80 Flat Top Kabuki by Sigma - Although I think the Beauty Blender is great for foundation, the F80 is ten times better! This brush is going to make your foundation look perfect and flawless. You don't have to worry about looking cakey or having any streaks with this brush! When I heard all the great reviews about it, I thought it was too good to be true. But it truly is that amazing! If you want to look flawless, you need this brush in your life!

F80 Flat Kabuki by Sigma

• E40 Blending Brush by Sigma - I just love this brush. I love doing my eye makeup and I honestly think part of it is because of this little guy! It is so perfect for blending out colors in your crease. In my opinion, crease work is what gives so much depth and definition to the eye. This brush disperses the shadow evenly and beautifully. I know that I will never have any harsh lines when using this brush because it just blends out the shadows so easily. You must try out the F80 and E40 from Sigma, ladies!

E25 Blending by Sigma

You might be thinking "What about primers?" Honestly, I don't remember the last time I bought a full size primer. Probably well over a year ago! I have just been using samples ever since. The reason I haven't purchased a full size primer in so long and not including any in my favorites is because I really don't have any. I will use some that I "like", but I haven't found a face primer that has truly blown me a way. I just use samples that I get and it does the job. Maybe next year I will found that I can't live without :)

Have a wonderful weekend and I will be back next week with Part 2!

xoxo Kayla

Friday Five: 8/29/14

Happy Friday!!

And let's just get into The Five!

1. Very Sexy Travel Fragrance Mist by Victoria's Secret
     I love this body spray because it is the perfect scent for summer and with it being travel size, I just keep it in my purse! It is such a warm scent and it is described as having notes of vanilla orchid, clementine and blackberry. It reminds me of a warm summer night and I have not only been loving it this week, but all summer as well! It hasn't left my purse in three months! I love the travel mists from VS because they are always running them on sale for $10, they are so easy to tote around and last forever! I got mine last summer (hence the old packaging) and I still have a ton left!

Very Sexy by Victoria's Secret

2. Hydrating Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner by OGX (Formerly known as Organix)
     I am just loving this shampoo and conditioner! I picked it up last week and my hair feels and looks so much healthier since using it! I felt like my hair was getting super dry and brittle from the summer and this has really helped to re-hydrate my hair. After only about 5 or 6 washes of using these, my hair doesn't feel or look as dried out and is much softer! I can't wait to keep using it!

Hydrating Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner by OGX

3. Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Smitten
     If you read my last review, this is the one that got me hooked on the Colorburst collection! Check it out and see why I have been loving it and the other ones I picked up. It's a rough life being a beauty addict :)

Revlon Colorburst in Smitten

4. Bare Minerals Prime Time
     I have been wanting to try out more Bare Minerals products and I got this primer in a small travel/trial set. I tested this out on my hand at Ulta a while back and I absolutely loved how it felt. It feels so silky, smooth and hydrating. At the time though, I needed to use up some other primers before I purchased a new one so I kept this in mind. A couple of weeks ago, I was standing in the checkout line in Sephora and saw they had a travel set of this and the Bare Minerals Mineral Veil for only $15. I thought that this was a great way to test out the products. This primer does not disappoint and I will most likely purchase a full size when I run out of this one. It really helps the longevity of my foundation and I love knowing that it doesn't have any harsh/bad ingredients in it!

Prime Time by Bare Minerals

5. Bare Minerals Mineral Veil
     So I have been loving this too from the set! I have also had my eye on this so it worked out perfect that they were packaged together. At first, I wished that the Mineral Veil was larger because I didn't think it would last me long, but a little goes a long way! I know this will last me quite a while. And I can honestly say I have found my new finishing powder. This stuff is amazing! It really locks everything in and also feels so silky smooth. It doesn't look cakey at all and just melts into the skin giving you a flawless look. I am falling more and more in love with Bare Minerals products and need to try out more! Any recommendations??

Mineral Veil by Bare Minerals

Have a wonderful holiday weekend, beauties!

xoxo Kayla